The Knights had a doubleheader today, and with most of their starting rotation either in Chicago or jet-lagged from flying to/from Chicago, they needed a starter.

Birmingham has clinched a playoff spot, so I'd have expected them to bring up someone from there -- Bullard, Phillips, Meaux, Pacheco, Ulacia, Villacis. Instead, they went all the way to Kannapolis (Winston-Salem being in a tight pennant race) and recalled reliever Orionny Lopez.

Having a reliever jump three levels for a spot start is completely bizarre! Kannapolis has some quality starters in Haigwood, Rodriguez, and Gonzalez, but it must not have been their turn in the rotation.

Anyway, I've never seen Lopez pitch and I don't know much about him. He's a righthander. IIRC he was in our system last year (at least), and he showed some promise, but obviously he never did anything to make me sit up and take notice. He was 2-3, 2.75 at Kanny with good peripheral numbers: 55.2 innings, 48 hits, 18 walks, 51 strikeouts.

And of course, he won his start, turning in better numbers (5 5 1 1 2 5) than anyone called up to Chicago this year.